Impacted Wisdom Teeth • Cranberry Township

What Are Wisdom Teeth?

Third molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth. They are usually the last teeth to develop and are located in the back of your mouth, behind your second molars. Their development is usually completed between the middle teenage years and early twenties, a time traditionally associated with the onset of maturity and the attainment of wisdom.

Are Your Impacted Wisdom Teeth Causing You Pain?

Don’t suffer any longer! Cranberry Oral Surgery can gently extract impacted wisdom teeth to relieve pain and prevent future complications.

What Is An Impacted Tooth?

Although most people develop and grow 32 permanent adult teeth, many times their jaws are too small to accommodate the four wisdom teeth. When inadequate space prevents the teeth from erupting they are called impacted. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.

Wisdom Teeth impacted in jaw: Patient x-ray on the left and illustration on the right

Types Of Impactions

We will need to see you for a consultation to determine if you will benefit from wisdom tooth removal. A special x-ray of your mouth and jaws (panorex) will be taken to determine if your wisdom teeth are impacted, if there is room for them to erupt, and how difficult it will be to have them removed.

  • Soft Tissue Impaction: There is not enough room to allow the gum tissue to retract for adequate cleaning of the tooth.
  • Partial Bony Impaction: There is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to partially erupt. However, the tooth cannot function properly in the chewing process, and creates cleaning problems, among others.
  • Complete Bony Impaction: There is NO space for the tooth to erupt. It remains embedded in the jaw bone or if even partially visible requires complex surgical techniques for removal.The impacted wisdom tooth may also be in an unusual position and difficult to remove. This situation can also arise when the shape or size of the jaw bone and other facial structures make removal of this tooth significantly more complex.
Jaw illustration: Impacted lower Wisdom Teeth affecting the soft tissueSoft Tissue
Jaw illustration: Partial Bony Impaction by lower Wisdom ToothPartial Bony
Jaw illustration: Complete Bony Impaction by lower Wisdom ToothComplete Bony

Patient Reviews: Wisdom Teeth Removal

Please read testimonials from our patients about their experiences at Cranberry Oral Surgery. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kirkpatrick, please call our Cranberry Township office: Cranberry Township Oral Surgery Office Phone Number 724-779-7999

Cranberry Oral Surgery

5 out of 5 stars based on 1 Wisdom Teeth reviews.

Patient Testimonial by Brooke B

I am so afraid of the dentist but my visit to get my wisdom teeth out was the most comfortable and relaxed experience. They knew exactly how to make me calm and I was in and out in no time !

- Brooke B

5 out of 5 stars on